Latest Articles

This month, we take a sobering look at hospital violence and violence prevention programs. Pediatric hospitalist David Pressel, MD, PhD, FHM, of Nemours Children’s Hospital, talks about violence prevention programs at his facility. Our special report this month explores why hospitalists are on the front line in treating VTE, and hospitalist David Lichtman, PA, tells why… [Read More]

Case A 66-year-old homeless man with a history of smoking and cirrhosis due to alcoholism presents to the hospital with a productive cough and fever for one month. He has traveled around Arizona and New Mexico but has never left the country. His complete blood count (CBC) is notable for a white blood cell count… [Read More]

Nearly half of all venous thromboembolism (VTE) events occur during or soon after hospitalizations.1 And who are the frontline providers diagnosing and managing VTE in the inpatient setting? “While VTE may not be the No. 1 reason for hospitalization, hospitalists very frequently care for patients with VTE,” says Sowmya Kanikkannan, MD, FACP, SFHM, hospitalist medical… [Read More]

Clinical question: Is mechanical, left atrial appendage (LAA) closure as effective as warfarin therapy in preventing cardioembolic events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (Afib)? Background: Anticoagulation with warfarin has long been the standard therapy for prevention of thromboembolic complications of nonvalvular Afib; however, its use is limited by the need for monitoring and lifelong… [Read More]

Clinical question: Does tramadol increase rates of hospitalization from hypoglycemia compared to other opioids? Background: As tramadol use has increased in the general population, there have been multiple reports of hypoglycemia after initiation of the painkiller, including in patients with no other known risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus. Study design: Case control study. Setting:… [Read More]

Clinical question: Does duration of surgical procedure influence venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk? Background: The relationship between surgical procedure length and VTE risk has not been vigorously assessed, although it has been postulated that longer procedures are associated with increased VTE risk. Improved understanding of this relationship may be beneficial to surgeons deciding on VTE prophylaxis… [Read More]

Clinical question: After hospitalization for acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHOM), do children discharged with oral antibiotics have similar clinical outcomes compared to those discharged with home IV antibiotics? Background: AHOM occurs in one in 5,000 children yearly and makes up approximately 1% of pediatric hospitalizations in the U.S.1 The incidence of AHOM might be increasing in… [Read More]

Clinical question: Does supervised learning in the ED lead to higher rates of resource utilization? Background: Care at academic medical centers might be more expensive than nonteaching hospitals because of the increased testing and resource utilization that occurs among learners. Although there is a growing emphasis in training programs on cost-conscious care, little data has… [Read More]

Clinical question: For primary care physicians (PCPs), does residency training area affect the pattern of physician spending after training is complete? Background: Regional and system-level variations in the intensity of medical services provided are common in the U.S. Residency training practice patterns could explain these variations. This study examines the relationship between spending patterns in… [Read More]

The Hospitalist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in hospital medicine. The Hospitalist reaches more than 25,000 hospitalists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, residents, and medical administrators interested in the practice and business of hospital medicine.